I don't reserve any of my gear for the hills. If I can benefit from it, I use it for whatever.
My gliding club operates all year round and standing around in a field at this time of year, waiting for breaks in the weather can get pretty cold. At times like these I'm glad I've got a few jackets to choose from, some waterproof over trousers, as well as some decent gloves and hats. You only have to see others suffering in their street clothes and woollen gloves to appreciate the difference some decent outdoor kit makes.
Incidentally my waterproof jacket is a 5 year old TNF Goretex XCR jacket. It has had so much use over the years, I've used it for ski trips, cycling, summer/winter walking and out on the airfield. Apart from having to renew the DWR a few times, it's almost as good as the day I bought it. The only thing that seems to be wearing out is the velcro on the fasteners.
I've also just bought a TNF down jacket, my first down jacket. I've not used it anywhere apart from the airfield yet, but I'm quite impressed with it so far. It's very warm, windproof and surprisingly light.
I don't reserve any of my gear for the hills. If I can benefit from it, I use it for whatever.
I'm the same. Whilst I don't walk around town in hiking boots and baselayers, if it's pouring with rain then I wear my ME waterproof jacket. Whether you're watching a football match or walking on the hills, rain is still wet and cold, so it makes sense to wear appropriate kit - which for these occasions would be waterproofs and fleeces.
I don't reserve any of my gear for the hills. If I can benefit from it, I use it for whatever.
I'm the same. Whilst I don't walk around town in hiking boots and baselayers, if it's pouring with rain then I wear my ME waterproof jacket. Whether you're watching a football match or walking on the hills, rain is still wet and cold, so it makes sense to wear appropriate kit - which for these occasions would be waterproofs and fleeces.
Hear hear! I am glad that I am not the only one with this sentiment. Ultimately this weather is made for coping with bad weather, which may also occur in town!
I finally justified buying a a 'proper' Lowe Alpine jacket about 12 years (as opposed to the cheap wax jacket I then used) for day to day use after freezing and getting drenched while waiting for my morning Thameslink commute.
Was it overkill? Possibly. But I was warm and dry, and considering the fact that the train was seldom on time (and the wind was very cold), it was money well spent. I was still using it when pushing my two toddlers in their double buggy (in the pouring rain) to a playgroup miles away a couple of years ago. If a jacket is waterproof and its raining, it doesn't really matter where you use it.
Right now I'm dressed in Craghoppers, a cheap Peter Storm fleece, a T-shirt and surplus German Army boots. Very practical for a stay-at-home dad. Add to that a Mountain Hardwear or Columbia fleece or something from Aldi/Lidl, and thats pretty much my day to day outfit. Comfortable, practical and not that expensive (I didn't pay full price for any of it). I've got brands that I like, and there are ones that I want (but can't afford at the moment), but the idea that you shouldn't wear something because it might be a bit 'street' doesn't make a huge amount of sense (with the exception which I explain below). If the quality has fallen or it doesn't work for you, then thats another matter.
If I spent a fortune on big brand outdoor gear just to go to Sainsburys, then that would be silly, but think about the cost of a 'G-Star Raw' cotton T-Shirt. I've just checked. £29. A HH wicking T-shirt. £25.
As for a certain brand and its 'image', I've only got two bits of TNF kit. One is a very old Genesis fleece, which is still fine, apart from some shrinkage. The other is a two year old Hyvent jacket, which is frankly not all that good. Would I buy a similar jacket again? No.
I could say it just because its not very good, but I have to admit that I was a bit naive when I bought it. I wasn't aware of the TNF reputation at the time, and it was only afterwards that I kept spotting jackets very similar to mine being worn by blokes with no teeth and a tattoed neck.
Next time its ME....but it would probably have been ME anyway.
I wasn't aware of the TNF reputation at the time, and it was only afterwards that I kept spotting jackets very similar to mine being worn by blokes with no teeth and a tattoed neck.
I just used to think that hillwalking was attracting funny types of people! If you stear clear of high street style TNF then I think that it's good - after all, it takes people up mountains.
I own a couple of TNF bits, and rate them both. One is a Soft Shell like this which for someone like me who runs hot is great. A long sleeved base layer and this has been fine for me at temperatures down to around freezing, as long as I'm moving; it's breathable, pretty water resistant, the fit is good and the hood is suprisingly effective. Although I didn't buy it from Go, I did pay the same or thereaouts, and I'd see that as good value at that price.
I also own that symbol of all that is "high street" about TNF: a Nuptse gillet. Do I wear it when out walking? Rarely; I have a Haglofs Barrier Hood for when it's cold and I'm stationary, and that's better in the wet (obviously). The Nuptse is however good for cold dry days round town when I'm carting about the weekly food shop (no supermarkets here!) or for when I'm stood watching the rugby. Not at all what it was probably designed for, but it does exactly what I want it to do and was again a decent price when I bought it.
Like any brand, some bits are better quality than others, and price can play a part. I'm not however that paranoid about image however, if it does the job I want at a price I'm prepared to pay, then job's a good 'un as far as I'm concerned.
I was standing in the queue at Waitrose this morning when I remembered this thread. I looked down at what i was wearing and I had on:
Icebreaker thermal top. Mountain Hardwear fleece. Mountain Equipment Kongur MRT jacket. Asosol Strynger GTX boots. Osprey day sack(contents included and never taken out: compass, head torch, leatherman and survival tin)
I was, however, wearing M&S underwear and a pair of Next jeans.
I make no excuses for my tardiness, this is how I dress. I know that I live down south, that the walk to the shop was only a mile away and the sun was out and the sky was blue but I, at least, am prepared for any eventuality and if a sudden snow storm should prevail then I would be a survivor.
Down south you need to carry all your protective gear when it is nice weather because if the sun is shining down here it means that the sky will fall on your head by the time you need to go home from work! So I think Marns has got it just right!
If you stear clear of high street style TNF then I think that it's good - after all, it takes people up mountains.
